Mots-clés

Bipolar

Bipolar / Bipolar disorder / Manic-depressive psychosis

Manic-depressive psychosis was the name given to bipolar disorders up to the 1980s. Bipolar disorder is characterised by unstable mood and fluctuations between depression and euphoria/hypomania/mania. The hypomanic phase is characterised by an increase in energy and activity. The manic phase is characterised by marked euphoria, psychomotor agitation, no feelings of tiredness and behavioural disinhibition. Sometimes psychotic symptoms appear as a loss of contact with reality displayed as delusions of grandeur as well as hallucinations. The depressive phase is characterised by sadness, loss of access to pleasure, loss of desire and interest, ideas of guilt and worthlessness, decreased appetite, sleep disorders and, sometimes suicidal thoughts. Severe cases can present with delusions of ruin and hallucinations. When the mood normalises from the extremes, the person with bipolar disorder realises what he or she has done or said, leading to feelings shame, a strong feeling of worthlessness and a great deal of social and family suffering. This disease has a very high long-term suicide rate.